The association is of the view that any scientific discipline grows when different background contributes. It suggested that it would be in the best interest of medical education to have faculties from diverse backgrounds.
The NMC issued a gazetted notification on 28 October titled "minimum requirement for annual MBBS admission regulations, 2020" and the percentage of non-medical teachers in the three clinical specialties of anatomy, biochemistry, and physiology have been halved from 30 to 15 % whereas the nonmedical teachers have been completely eliminated from para clinical specialties of pharmacology and microbiology. It is to be mentioned that for biochemistry, the hiring limit was a whopping 50 percent which has now been jolted down to 15 percent. Moreover, the new regulations made no such specifications on the ceiling for pharmacology and microbiology.
The association alleged that the move came in line with the demand of a major section of the medical fraternity that is rooting for phasing out of the non-medical teachers from medical colleges. The move has sparked fear of joblessness among the MSc medical teachers.
However, the association while opposing the NMC move, in a recent press statement said, " the non-medical teachers who are scientists with medical M.Sc/Ph.D qualification in these specialties are agitated by the decision. The NMC was expected to adopt the guidelines from the erstwhile MCI. The first draft guidelines were the adoption of the MCI guidelines which has stated that in the department of anatomy, physiology, microbiology, pharmacology, and microbiology non-medical teachers may be appointed to the extent of 50%."
However, to the utter shock of non-medical teachers, NMC took a u-turn and reduced the intake. The association added that it is of the view that some sections of the medical teachers have been clamoring for the elimination of the scientists from the medical colleges.
The contributing factors attributed to these changes are competition for teaching jobs and the introduction of the new components based curriculum. However, refuting the basis of the decision, the association president, Dr. Shridhar stated, "Like our medical colleagues, we too have undergone the mandatory training on the implementation of the new competency-based curriculum and we are capable and confident of imparting the teaching as envisaged by the NMC."
"Instead of shunting us out, there must be more efforts to train and integrate us. We can consult the clinical colleagues for inputs on the horizontal and vertical integrations", he added.
The release further added that according to the new notification by NMC, the new rules are going to be applicable from academic section 2021-22 despite this, there is fear and uncertainty among the community of non-medical teachers as they fear that these guidelines should be illegally extended to the existing medical colleges.
Commenting on this issue, the association explained that "Our prior experience tells us there is a strong tendency among the medical colleges (especially private) to apply them as and when they wish. There are already reports of scientist teachers being sacked or asked to leave, even in instances where these rules don't apply. The exclusion of scientist teachers in the rules will give opportunity and armament to the employers to harass the existing scientist teachers and compel them to leave. Once out of job, the new rules will make it impossible to get another job in any new/old medical college."
"Although the MCI collected data of every teacher from all the affiliated medical colleges, it has no data on the number of non-medical teachers. It is estimated that there could be 4000-5000 non-medical teachers working under the designations ranging from Professors & HOD to Tutors. At the same time, thousands of students are pursuing medical M.Sc courses hoping to get employed in medical colleges. With the implementation of these guidelines, they have lost a major employment opportunity. While these amended guidelines have brought cheers to a section of the non-clinical doctors, it has created ripples in the scientists' communities", the association further pointed out.
Calling the appointment of non-medical teachers for teaching non-clinical subjects as not a unique move, Dr. Shridhar Rao, President of the National M.Sc Medical Teachers' Association (NMMTA) expressed, "It is a widespread practice across several countries to employ scientists as teachers in medical colleges. In some top medical schools of the West, 50-60% of teachers are scientists." "Medical M.Sc courses are not only similar to the MD courses, but the students of Medical M.Sc courses study human anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry in addition just as the first year MBBS students do. We are not laypersons as it is projected to be. Although our graduate degrees are different, our postgraduate degrees are similar and our practice is based on our postgraduate teaching. We are wrongly called non-medical teachers; we have been awarded Medical M.Sc degrees under the faculty of Medicine by the health universities", said Mr. Arjun Maitra, Secretary, NMMTA.
Previously a similar controversy erupted in 2018 when MCI suggested the appointment of Non-MBBS teachers should be reduced if not stopped altogether. Taking cognizance of the interest of the non-MBBS doctors the authorities decided not to pass the proposal back then. But the scientists feel that despite being in the system for several decades, their voices are not heard as they don't have a representation in the MCI, neither do they have one in the NMC.
"We are a minority but there are no checks in place to protect the interests of the minorities. Our please are often ignored and we are treated as non-existing entities", stated Maitra.
"We request the government to take note of our precarious position, safeguard our interests, and provide us justice by reinstating the previous MCI norm. However, taking cognizance of this", said Dr. Rao with optimism.
The scientists' community feels that the government must have a nuanced policy on the utility and conduct of Medical M.Sc courses with the formation of a council to regulate the courses and register the members providing professional services in diagnostic laboratories.
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